


Ticky-ticky-tock (Goes the clock) and I sit and I watch the hours go

by that_citrus_fruit_lem0n



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Love, Child Abandonment, Especially for this fandom, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Isolation, Lighthouses, Loneliness, My First AO3 Post, My First Fanfic, Now with illustration!, Oneshot, Robot Feels, Self-Indulgent, echo is small, i havent wrote much before this, im thinking season 1 lloyd kinda thing, like he is an actual kid in this, more likely than you think, probably OOC characters, whoA an echo zane fanfic?? in your 2020??, zane is kinda pissed at jay and nya but he understands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27479884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_citrus_fruit_lem0n/pseuds/that_citrus_fruit_lem0n
Summary: Going back to his fathers lighthouse, Zane finds someone he would have never guessed evenexisted.(aka: generic "zane finds echo" fanfic to try my hand at writing with)consructive critisims welcome and appreciatednow with drawings!!
Relationships: Echo Zane & Nya & Jay Walker, Echo Zane & Zane (Ninjago)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

Zane huffed as he followed Gizmo down the spiraling basement stairs, still feeling slightly aggrieved with the fact that Jay and Nya had kept such information from him, yet also feeling mildly guilty for blowing up on them the way he did. He decided to put those thoughts on standby for now as they reached the last of the stairs.

He had reached the entrance to the lighthouse's lowest level.

The room had stone walls and flooring, filled high with boxes of what Zane could only assume were his father's spare parts; The room was illuminated by nothing more than a small circular window to the side that looked out to the ocean where the kraken had once swam.

Giving the room a warm glow and highlighting the floating dust that swam through the air as a testimony of it's lifelessness and age, the rays reflected off a slumped metallic figure that Zane knew would be the one he was looking for, the brother he would never have imagined he would ever know of.

The nindroid lay on the stone floor, leening partially against a few of the wooden boxes that fill the underground basement. Legs spread out in front of him, body laid out straight as the inner mechanisms (visible from a lack of chest plating) moved haltingly and slowly, head bowed low as if he were asleep, chin resting on collarbone. One rusted arm limply rested in his lap, the other hanging uselessly at his side, only half there as the joint had seemed to have rusted off from the elbow down.  
Gizmo rushed ahead of Zane, beeping worriedly before retrieving the missing appendage from where it had rolled to a rest on the over side of the room.

Zane walked towards the nindroid, getting closer as to further inspect the state of _his brother_ , mutedly registering the retrieved arm being placed beside them and Gizmo rolling into the maze of boxes, presumably to fix it. He knelt beside the smaller robot, hands fluttering over the body with feather light touches that left his hands lightly brown from its flaking rust, fearing too much would make the smaller nindroid break. Taking a deep airless breath he slowly lifted the head up, cradling it as if it were precious porcelain, finally ready to meet his long lost sibling.

The ice ninja marveled in how strikingly similar they looked, from the same faux curly hair to the same face shape.  
The only main differences being the clockwork nindroids smaller stature and metal discolouring, as well as his face that had more plating and round yellow eyes, while his own face looked almost human and bore a pair of sharper blue eyes, his metal gleamed a clean silver under his skin.

The droids dim eyes looked up into Zanes own, the flickering evening out as it recognised another in the room so close to itself

“M-my name is-is-s Echo-o, created to pro-protect-t-t those who cannot--t protect them-themselves-s” the rusty nindroid managed to get out, after all this time his proggraming seemingly still in tacked.

Zane let out a soft laugh, “Hello Echo, I am Zane, also created to protect those who cannot protect themselves”

“Zane…” Echo whispered thoughtfully, gears rattling, “you ar-re the original-nal, father told me-e stori-ies about you-ou,” he said, smiling softly.

Zane felt a pang at the mention of his father, still resentful that he was never told he had a _little brother_. Alone for god knows how long, left to waste away in a dusty basement, but he put those thoughts to the side once more, focusing on the face he held in his hands.

“I'm sure he had plenty to tell.”

“He told me-m he created-ed you, that you were his family-y, me too! Does that make us family-y?”

“Of course it does ...brother” Zane whispered fondly.

Gizmo came back with a toolbox and a handful of different nuts and bolts.

“It's been awhile since I’ve had a family-y, father has yet to return, he has bee-en gone for quite a while-le. It has admittedly become ra-ra-rather lonely-y.”

Zane’s heart _ached_ at that, Echo even shared Zanes own robitic naivety, father had left the lighthouse years ago, yet Echo was still waiting patiently for his impossible return. He pulled his brother against his chest in a protective hug, ignoring Gizmo’s frustrated chitters as Echos body moved to slump against his own.

“It's going to be ok brother, you are not going to be alone anymore.”

“...Re-really?”

“Really. I was not here for you before, and you were here alone for so long and for that I apologize, but I am here now, and you are not to be alone anymore”

“P-promise?”

“I promise.”

Echo's working hand slowly moved up to latch onto the cloth of Zanes gi, pressing his face into his brother's shoulder, clinging to him. He let out an airless breath, which came out sounding more like a choked sob. Zane carded his hand through his brother's hair, shushing him silently as he broke down into tears, dark motor oil squeezing out his round eyes, spreading a metallic smell through the room. Zane only held him tighter.

“I've always wished to meet you, father always said _one day_ , one day we would be complete, an-and now you’re here, you-you’re here an-” he broke off, dissolving into more sobs and all Zane could do was whisper sweet nothing into his ear as he held him.

**I'm here**

They sat like that for a while, Zane shushing him gently, Gizmo beeping in what Echo must interpret as a soothing tone as they worked because slowly enough his cries turned to sniffles and hitches before quieting down completely.

The ice ninja pulled back to check on him, scared he may have shut down and Echo seemed quite close to doing so, his eyes were dimmer than before, half lidded and flickering again, his noisy clockwork-like mechanics quieting into a smooth vrrrrr. He must be entering a sort of low power mode, finally tiring his already weary body out.

Zane let Gizmo finish patching up his arm, making a quick metal note to ask Nya to get some materials needed to give his brother proper repairs, then he lay his body against the boxes once more so he could properly lift the smaller nindroid.

He slipped an arm underneath his knees, the other supporting his neck and shoulders, inwardly wincing as Echo's joints let out a loud creak of protest as he lifted the smaller droid. Mentaly making preparations for his brother to join them on the bounty, the repairs he would need, and even an apology for Jay and Nya, as he walked up the creaking lighthouse stairs, Gizmo beeping and chittering as he followed.

There is no point wasting time mourning for what he lost, what mattered was that he was here now, and he's not leaving anytime soon.

Things may never be perfect, but they will always be better than they were yesterday.


	2. Chapter 2

illustrated by myself :)))

this to so long to make >< backgrounds are a pain

**Author's Note:**

> Echo zave deserved so much better and i will forever be mad about it.  
> I know this fic storyline is kinda unoriginal but i really like it and it was fun to write
> 
> also, this is my first ever fanfic and i want to who what you all think!  
> this is a first big step to writing for me and no critisim is too harsh, please tell me where i can improve :)))
> 
> [my ninjago blog!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nonbinary-morro)
> 
> title inspired by tic tok by mother mother
> 
> thank you for reading and have a fine rest of your day/night


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